A.Manzoni & Fils Launches Canopus Week Planner Watch On Kickstarter

Kickstarter has become the crowd funding platform of choice for entrepreneurs of all sizes and genres. It should come as no surprise then to see it being used as the formal launch platform for a new watch manufacture. Oliver Ike, best known for launching Ikepod back in 1996, has chosen Kickstarter for introducing us to his latest project, A.Manzoni & Fils and to ask for funding to build its first watch, the Week Planner. The nice thing about Kickstarter is it usually gives a lot back to early funders by way of steep discounts and cool bonus material. So, what's it going to cost you to get in early on A.Manzoni & Fils? Read on for details.

Kickstarter has become the crowd funding platform of choice for entrepreneurs of all sizes and genres. It should come as no surprise then to see it being used as the formal launch platform for a new watch manufacture. Oliver Ike, best known for launching Ikepod back in 1996, has chosen Kickstarter for introducing us to his latest project, A.Manzoni & Fils and to ask for funding to build its first watch, the Week Planner. The nice thing about Kickstarter is it usually gives a lot back to early funders by way of steep discounts and cool bonus material. So, what's it going to cost you to get in early on A.Manzoni & Fils? Read on for details.

If you're at all familiar with Ikepod (and if you read HODINKEE, you probably are), then you're aware of the high priority placed on contemporary design in both form and function. This is a theme not lost on Mr. Ike's latest endeavor, having employed the services of Finnish designer Ilkka Suppanen to assist in getting A.Manzoni & Fils moving in the right direction. For three years the duo has been working on their Canopus Week Planner watch, and it shows.

The 44mm steel case is svelte and lugless. The curved sapphire crystal took 4 months of R&D to develop, creating a seamless transition from case to crystal. The effect is reminiscent of something you might have seen in a Sci-Fi show from the 70s, a sleek spaceship outfitted with midcentury modern design. The small details look top notch, from the steel bracelet links to the patterned dial.

Inside the Canopus Week Planner things really start to get interesting. The star player here is a Dubois Dépraz module that tracks the day, date, month, and week of the year, plus a rotating moon display. The robust module lives atop a Soprod A10 base. The whole operation is visible through a sapphire case back, and includes a special Côte de Copacabana decor on the rotor.

The price for all this? Retail is expected to come in around $15,000. But this is Kickstarter, and lending your funding support at this stage means you can buy the watch for $5,000. There are also numerous other levels of support, including one at $50 which will get you a slick t-shirt designed by Ike and Suppanen. Of course, you won't get anything unless the project is funded in full. At the moment they have received $88,983 in pledges towards an $850,000 goal.

The Kickstarter project will end on August 7th, so if you're interested head over to the page and find a level that fits your budget.